Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic sidelined on a week-to-week basis due to injury
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Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic will be sidelined on a “week-to-week” basis due to an undisclosed injury he suffered during a 4-1 home loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Coach Mike Sullivan announced Nedeljkovic’s status following an optional morning skate at PPG Paints Arena in advance of the team’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Sullivan also confirmed Nedeljkovic is designated to long-term injured reserve (as opposed to regular injured reserve).
Anyone designated to long-term injured reserve must be sidelined for 10 games and 24 days on the NHL calendar. For Nedeljkovic, that means he would not be eligible to return to the active roster until a home game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 19.
Nedeljkovic has appeared in two games this season and has a 1-1-0 record, a 3.01 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. A free agent signing this past offseason, Nedeljkovic agreed to a one-year contract that carries a salary cap hit of $1.5 million.
On Wednesday, the team recalled reserve goaltender Magnus Hellberg from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL). In two games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, Hellberg has a 1-1-0 record, a 2.55 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.
Notes:
• The Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against the Avalanche.
In four games this season, Jarry has a 1-3-0 record, a 2.81 goals-against average, an .892 save percentage and one shutout.
Throughout his career, Jarry has faced the Avalanche in five contests and posted a 1-4-0 record, a 3.27 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.
• Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel is expected to return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch during Tuesday’s 4-1 home loss to the Dallas Stars. He and fellow defenseman Ryan Shea left the ice following Tuesday’s morning skate well before defenseman P.O Joseph. That is typically an indicator of who will be in the lineup.
In five games this season, Ruhwedel has no points while averaging 11:48 of ice time per contest.
• Those who participated in the Penguins’ optional morning skate included:
Forwards – Drew O’Connor, Radim Zohorna
Defensemen –Joseph, Ruhwedel, Shea
Goaltenders –Hellberg, Jarry
• Reserve forward Vinnie Hinostroza did not participate in the optional skate after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earlier in the morning. Sullivan indicated Hinostroza is expected to participate in warmups before the game but will likely not play.
• Unsigned defenseman Mark Pysyk took to the ice prior to the morning skate to rehabilitate an injury he suffered during a 4-3 overtime road loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 24 in the preseason. The Penguins brought Pysyk to training camp on a professional tryout contract (PTO) but have not signed him to a regular contract as he recuperates.
Sullivan did not offer much on Pysyk’s status with the club other than to acknowledge he is still rehabilitating.
• Penguins forward Matt Nieto enters the contest with 199 career points.
• Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is slated to start his seventh consecutive game to open the season. He enters the contest with a 6-0-0 record, a 1.98 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and one shutout.
In nine career games against the Penguins, Georgiev has a 3-4-1 record, a 4.22 goals against average and an .887 save percentage.
• Avalanche backup goaltender Ivan Prosvetov has yet to appear in a game this season.